Belial's Child
by Dengirl
Summary: A prophecy has come to pass...Belial's Child is born and darkness waits for release...
1. Chapter 1

_**This story also includes other character- Jack Harkness and others but you can only list two**_

"I don't like this."

"Like it or not, we can't do business without their approval. They rule this sector."

"Is that why you brought that black stuff?"

"It's called tea and I heard one of them had a liking for it."

"But you can get that stuff anywhere."

"Not this tea, this tea's from Sol Three...the original and the best."

"Well it better work."

"Quit worrying, it'll be fine."

"Sure, I've not forgotten what happened to Javix, they still haven't found all of him."

"Well I'm not Javix, he got greedy."

The pair fell silent as they approached the gates of the largest building in the city.

No-one traded or made any money without the approval of this pair, and everyone gave a percentage of their profits, or you ended up like Javix.

The intimidation began at the gates, with the huge reptilian guards, who watched them with hungry eyes.

Once past the gates the building within was meant to impress, as much as the ever present guards were meant to frighten. They tried not to notice the cameras that followed them and only stopped when the guard did.

A few moments later an elderly man appeared.

"Welcome gentlemen, this way please."

A set of doors opened and the pair followed the man and they welcomed the cool of the interior; imported stone no doubt.

But they were here to do business, not admire the masonry.

They were ushered into a room, not an office but some kind of living area; the decor told them as much.

"My lord will be with you in a moment," the old man said and left them alone, but not for long.

The door opened and a blond haired man walked in and they sensed straight away the aura of power; it exuded from him and they tried to resist the shudder that went through them.

"Gentlemen," the man said and sat on the over large lounger. "I've been told you want to set up business in this sector. What is that you do?"

One of the men stepped forward. "My Lord, my name is Solzar and this is my associate Vez. We are traders in the exotic and rare and to show our wares we have brought this."

The same man that had showed them in took the box and handed it to the blond man, who opened it and let out a snort.

"Tea, you brought me tea?"

"This is no run of the mill tea, this is tea from Sol Three...Ceylon I believe it is called."

The blond man raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. I'm sure we can do business. Leave your details with Salis and my agent will be in contact with you...now go away, I have other business."

* * *

The Master walked quickly back to the room he'd left and to the particularly pleasant situation; one he intended to finish.

He closed the doors behind him and looked at the occupant of the bed.

"Now, where were we?"

"Well, I was going to get naked, but now I'm thinking of doing something more interesting," the Doctor replied.

The Master sighed and then played his ace. "I have something for you."

"Don't try and sweet talk me. Whatever it was, it could have waited."

This wasn't going to be easy the Master thought.

"Here," he said and threw the box and slumped in a chair.

The Doctor opened the box and looked inside. "Tea, you brought me tea?"

He sniffed the leaves and then smiled.

"Ceylon tea, how did you get Ceylon tea and from Earth?"

The Master wasn't one to miss a chance. "It wasn't easy. You have no idea how many people I had to bribe."

The smile on the Doctor's face turned salacious. "Then I'll enjoy a cup later, but first."

There was the rustle of clothes and the smile returned to the Master's face.

"You...have...the...most...biteable ..." he said as he worked his way down the Doctor's neck.

The noise it elicited from his bedfellow only fuelled his arousal.

"Eager, aren't we," the Doctor said in that husky voice that he knew the Master couldn't resist and then pushed him away.

"Oh, that's not fair," the Master growled. "Now you'll have to pay."

* * *

Much later the Doctor stood at the window, a cup of that tea in hand.

He was alone; the Master had gone, doing whatever it was he did. He didn't care that much about the Master's criminal activities; it kept his family safe and that was all that mattered.

The first six months after the birth of their daughter had been a nightmare. It seemed that every bounty hunter and greedy low-life had chanced their arm; but running wasn't easy with a young baby.

Eventually the Master had found them a sanctuary and had made sure that no-one hunted them again.

The doors suddenly burst open and a blur of colour was across the room and clinging to his legs in seconds.

He steadied the cup and put it down and scooped up the little girl that had attached herself to his legs.

"Have you run away from the nanny again, little chaos."

"Don't like her, she says I'm a bad girl."

"Well, if you keep running away."

The flustered nanny appeared at the door.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. She is supposed to be in bed."

"It's all right, you can go."

The woman curtsied and glared at the little girl when she stuck her tongue out.

"Behave, Sisrai," he said and carried her back to her room.

She was growing fast and she was five now, even though she was only born a year ago. He would have found it odd, if it were not for the unusual circumstances of her birth.

He'd decided it must be his and the Master's destiny to produce the next step along the Time Lord evolutionary line.

"Now sleep, young lady. Tomorrow is a busy day."

He kissed her goodnight and left her.

Once he'd left she sat up in the bed and said. "She said I was mean."

* * *

The nanny was glad to be away from the child; her skin crawled when she looked at her.

At first she'd thought she was a sweet child albeit mischievous, but as she'd grown, she had seen the child for what she was...a devil with an angel's face.

She walked into her kitchen and filled the kettle and switched on the cooker and the explosion rattled every window in the building...and somewhere a little girl was laughing.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack had gotten used to the stares and glares of his team. He'd returned to Torchwood via the TARDIS, which had been retrieved from Selt by the Shadow Proclamation and he tried to carry on as normal; but he knew that one day that call would come.

He could feel Gwen's eyes boring into his back, and he knew what she was thinking.

What had happened after he'd gone off with the Doctor and why had he returned without him, and who was the person he had returned with?

But he wasn't going to answer them, it was better that way.

Gwen eventually moved and stood in front of him, but before she could speak, he said.

"I've already said no, Gwen. How many more times do I have to say it?"

Gwen's eyes narrowed. "Until you tell us."

"No."

"Why not?" We can help you, whatever it is."

Jack looked up at her. "No, you can't, not this time."

Gwen put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't shut us out, please Jack. Let us help."

The phone saved him this time and he escaped out of the Hub, but he knew he would face it again when he got back.

* * *

Ash stood outside, leaning against one of the pillars. He rarely went inside the Hub, the hostility and the curiosity was too much for him. Besides, he was out of his time and this was history to him.

Gwen and Ianto were legends and knowing when and how they died and when Jack finally abandoned them, made him keep his distance.

His thoughts on the Doctor were fuzzier. He was sure of his feelings for the Time Lord. But he still had no idea if the Doctor felt the same.

When the time came, he would get his answer.

He straightened when he saw Jack approaching; the time for introspection was over.

Jack greeted him with customary nod; their relationships were more professional than choice.

"Detective," Jack said.

"Captain," he replied.

"So, what have you got for me?"

"You said anything weird...Torchwood weird. I think I've found something."

He handed Jack a view screen. "Found it on the internet, that shouldn't be here."

Jack handed it back. "No, it shouldn't."

"Then we need to deal with it."

"Yeah, one problem, it's going to take more than two people."

* * *

"Don't think so," Gwen said.

"No way," Ianto said. "Not until you explain a few things."

Jack shifted in his and he felt Ash tense beside him. He looked at Ash, who raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

Jack sighed; what choice did he have. When the time came, it would only be himself and Ash that would be going.

He couldn't blame them for being angry, but to his surprise they agreed to help and then they were in the thick of it and up to their ankles in alien.

The roar of the creature was loud enough to be heard above ground; they had to kill it quick.

"Gwen, how close are you!?" Jack yelled into his com. "I need those charges!"

There was no reply, only static hissed in his ear and he had the feeling something was very wrong.

"Ianto, Ash," again nothing but static.

Another roar echoed round the sewer, the creature was getting closer.

Then Jack felt it, the familiar tingle of a teleport and then the sewer dissolved and was replaced by the sight of several Judoon and the surprised faces of Gwen and Ianto, and Ash standing to one side.

"It is time, Captain," one Judoon said.

* * *

Seska wrinkled his nose at the smell of cooked flesh.

The explosion had brought himself and half the guard running.

His mother had arrived seconds later.

"Isn't that?"

"Sisrai's nanny," his mother said, in that tone of voice the Seska had come to fear.

The Doctor turned to one of the guards. "I want to know if this was an accident. And believe me, if it's not people will get hurt. My daughter could have been in there."

"Easy mother," Seska said. "I'll organise it. You go and see to Sisrai."

Seska could almost sense the relief in the people around his mother as he left. He could understand his mother being short-tempered.; but it seemed his fuse was even shorter since his sister had been born.

He'd been as surprised as his father at her birth and her subsequent quick growth, and it had made him wary of her; so he watched her from a distance.

He knew something wasn't quite right but he didn't dare voice his suspicions, he knew his mother wouldn't see or hear no wrong.

If he wasn't a logical Time Lord, he would say he was enchanted. But he didn't believe in magic; no doubt his mother doted on Sisrai because of what had happened to Jakaar.

He organised the removal of the body to his laboratory and sealed off the ruined rooms.

He decided he check on his mother, try and calm his foul mood, before it erupted into murderous rage.

* * *

The Doctor made his way to Sisrai's room and tried to quell his anger. He entered her room quietly, in case she was asleep; it was amazing what children could sleep through.

However she was wide wake and looked and sounded decidedly unhappy. He rushed over and took her in his arms.

"Ssh now, little one, it's all right. Did the noise upset you?"

She nodded and sniffed. "Don't like it here mamma."

"You're just scared, it's safe here."

"No mamma, I want to go."

"No, there's nothing to fear," he said again and looked into his daughter's eyes and saw not fear but something else.

Then his daughter spoke again and her voice was decidedly not upset. "No mother, we need to go and go now...it is time."

"Yes, you're right, it is time."

"Bring the crystal."

"Of course."

"Hurry mother, I need the crystal."

The Doctor nodded and hurried to his room and quickly found the crystal and ran back.

His daughter smiled at him. "Now we have to leave."

The Doctor picked her up and no-one questioned him as he carried his daughter out of the house and through the gates and into the night.

He carried her through the city and out of one of the many side gates and into the rocky dessert that surrounded the city.

"Stop," his daughter said. "Put me down and kneel."

He did it without questioning.

"Hold out the crystal, mother."

Again he did it without questioning.

"I need to grow and for that I need energy...your energy mother."

She placed her hands on the crystal and it began to glow, an unnatural black light. It reached her hands and then it reached the Doctor's.

He suddenly arched and both he and his daughter let out a gasp and then the black light expanded, engulfing them both and the seemed to be sucked back into the crystal, leaving the Doctor and Sisrai, who was no longer a small child but a grown woman.

She was the first to wake, but she wasn't dazed or confused; she knew exactly who and what she was.

She moved over to the still unconscious form of her mother.

"Time for us to go, mother," she said and raised her hand and both of them began to fade away and then the desert was empty again.

* * *

Seska walked the short distance back to the wing that his parents shared and as he approached he sensed that something was definitely not right...he no longer felt the presence of his mother and Sisrai.

As he got to the door it opened and his father stepped out and his face was set in a mask of concern and anger.

He looked straight at Seska and said. "What is going on and where are your mother and your sister?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sisrai's hold over the Doctor grows stronger...**_

The Master's mood was growing darker by the minute; he'd returned from his business to find the house in chaos, a huge hole in one side of it, his daughter's nanny dead and most worrying of all, the Doctor and his daughter were missing.

"He wouldn't just leave," he said, refusing to believe that the Doctor would just go off.

"He might have," Seska said, despite the glare he gave him.

"And why would he do that?"

"The explosion may not have been accidental," Seska replied.

He stopped in mid-step, one foot on the step of the all terrain vehicle.

"Not an accident?"

"No, father. There are traces of an unknown energy within the nanny's body and in the apartment."

His mood darkened once again. "Someone dared to try and kill my family."

Seska nodded. "It would seem that way. If Sisrai hadn't been playing up, she would have been with the nanny."

The Master let out a snarl and lashed out; the side of the vehicle taking the full brunt of his blow.

"Father, I think mother got scared and took Sisrai somewhere safe."

"Then why can't I sense him. I should be able to...our bond."

"He could be shielding himself. If there are people out there after them, they could have a telepath."

"Then we have to find them," the Master said. "Move out!" he called and climbed into the ATV, along with Seska and they moved out of the city, along with several other vehicles.

* * *

The Doctor let out a groan as the pain woke him.

"Easy," woman's voice said.

It took him a few moments for his senses to return and then it hit him.

"Sisrai?"

Panic set in when there was no reply. "Sisrai?"

"I'm here, mother," that same voice said.

His head snapped round and he saw a young woman, sitting a few feet away.

"What have you done with my daughter?"

"Nothing, I'm here."

Anger now replaced his panic. "Don't play games with me, you really don't want to play games with me."

Instead of being cowed, the young woman smiled. "I hope you are like that when someone breaks my heart, mother."

"Don't call me that, where is my daughter?"

"Like I said, I'm here."

He narrowed his eyes...so, she wanted to play games...fine.

"Then come here and give your mother a hug, or are you too grown up for that?"

She smiled and stood and when she was within his arms, he moved but found it was her hands on his temples and her eyes were holding his.

"Have you forgotten me, mother?"

"No, you're not my daughter. Where is she?"

The woman's eyes flashed. "Remember me, mother."

He blinked and thought how stupid it was not to recognise his own daughter. He shifted and pain shot through him and he winced.

"You should rest, we will have to leave soon. It is not safe here."

"We can go back to the city, your father..."

She grabbed his hand and he could see tears forming.

"Sisrai, has something happened?"

"Oh mother, you don't remember, she broke off and the tears fell.

"Sisrai, what happened?"

When she said nothing, he used his free hand to lift her chin.

"Sisrai?"

"It was father, he...he went mad and tried to kill us."

He shook his head. "No, he wouldn't."

"Mother, you've been unconscious for two days. You fought father to protect me. We managed to get away but your head was damaged, and I am no healer."

"What about Seska...is he?"

"I don't know," Sisrai said. "There was so much confusion...the house was on fire, we were running, you were hurt and father was screaming murder."

She let out a sob. "I thought you were going to die and not regenerate. Your head was all bloody and...and."

He put his arms around her. "Hush now, little one. I didn't and we will get out of here."

"What about father?" she sniffed.

"I will deal with him, if I have to, and as for leaving, we can do that but we have to go now."

"How?" she asked.

"I have a ship," he replied.

"A ship, but won't father know about it."

He smiled at her. "No this one, this one is my secret and now yours. Have courage little one, we will escape."

He turned away and didn't see the smile on Sisrai's face; the triumph at her continuing deceit and the fact that her hold on the Doctor was getting stronger...soon they would leave this planet and her hold would become unbreakable.

Soon they would be at the Threshold and he would fulfil his purpose and open the Gates.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack wasn't happy and he wasn't backwards in showing it.

"You had no right to take them!"

"That was your mistake, Captain. We warned you not to speak to anyone of this, and yet you do so. So now they are part of it and whatever happens will be on your head," the Head of the Council retorted.

As Jack was about to go again, one of the acolytes ran up and whispered in the councillor's ear.

"We do not have time to argue. Things are moving quicker than expected. Are you ready, Jack Harkness?"

"Ready for what?"

"To go, how do you humans put it, to go into the lion's den?"

* * *

"The Arkash System," Ash said. "They're in that hell hole."

"According to their spies, they rule," Jack replied.

Ash let out a whistle. "This Master must be a real psycho."

Jack said nothing, knowing that the Doctor probably had a hand in it all. It would have been difficult enough getting in and taking the Doctor when it was just himself and Ash; but now he had Gwen and Ianto, and that changed everything.

"So, this Belial's Child, do you think it's a real child?"

Gwen's question burst his contemplative bubble.

"Who knows, the Sisters are always a bit cryptic," Jack said.

"It must be a living thing, since they said it would be weakened if the Doctor was taken," Ash said.

Ianto snorted. "Do you think it's going to be that easy? He's not likely to come willingly and the Master's not just going to wave him goodbye."

"It's not just any living thing, is it Jack?" Gwen said. "It's the Doctor's child, isn't it?"

Jack said nothing, just nodded; Gwen could be uncannily perceptive.

"He's had another kid," Ianto said, the horror only thinly disguised as surprise. "Figure's he'd have the Devil's Child."

Jack shot him a glare but couldn't blame him.

"If he had, then it can't be more than six months old," Ash said. "Hardly a worry for the universe."

"Things around the Doctor are never normal."

They were nearing what was believed to be the planet the Doctor and the Master had made their base and would soon be landing.

The Shadow Proclamation may have wanted them to abduct the Doctor, but as Ianto said, it wasn't going to be that easy.

Jack would have loved to have given Gwen and Ianto a choice, to stay behind and live or go forward and quite possibly die. He was certain the Master would show them no mercy.

He was however more uncertain about the Doctor...oh, he had no doubt he wouldn't come willingly and he knew that he would have to harm him. But it was the harm the Doctor might do before they could subdue him; if they could.

And what of this Belial's Child...was it really one of the Doctor's children, and could one of them be the Devil's offspring...no, he refused to believe such a thing; the Doctor, no matter how crazed he became could give birth to such a thing.

No, he would find the Doctor and rescue him, whatever the fate the Sister's had foretold.

* * *

The Master was now getting frustrated, hours of searching the desert had been fruitless; if they were here then the ground must have swallowed them.

He had tried and failed to make contact with the Doctor, something else must be blocking him. The Doctor was strong but even he couldn't keep the barrier up this long.

"We will have to make camp soon, father. The desert is not a friendly place at night."

"No, we keep going."

"Father..." Seska started to say

"No, Seska. I will not stop. If you want to cower in a tent, then go on."

He started to walk away but stopped and smiled when Seska joined him.

They moved off, accompanied only by his most trusted soldiers.

They'd only gone a mile or so when the Master stopped and looked up.

"Something's coming."

A few moments later the sound of an engine could be heard and was closely followed by a small shuttle.

"We'll follow that, they could have something to do with it," he said.

The whole group set off at a fast pace, and no-one dared to slacken their pace.

The shuttle began to descend and it was at least three miles before it finally dipped beneath the rocked.

The Master was the first to breast the rise and look down. What he saw made him snarl...it was the one person he did not want to see.

"What is he doing here?" Seska said as he joined him.

The Master said nothing, eyes fixed on the small group down below.

"If he's here, he must know where your mother and Sisrai are."

"How can you be sure?" Seska said."Because he loves your mother and will do anything to take him away from us."

The Master gestured to his men and they split into smaller groups and went left and right.

"This time, you won't get what you want freak," the Master snarled and moved.

"According to this their compound is on the edge of the city," Jack said, showing them the schematics. "There's a gates that's locked but not guarded, it leads to the servant's quarters. We can slip in and I doubt the servants will bother us."

"Oh. I doubt they will," a voice said from the shadow of the rocks. "Since they'll never see you."

The whole group whirled round.

"Don't bother running," the same voice said. "You won't make fifty yards."

Jack scowled. "Big talk for someone keeping to the shadows."

The whole group tensed as the Master stepped out of the shadow, along with Seska and a handful of soldiers.

"I like the shadows, you can hear a lot in the shadows."

More soldiers appeared and they were trapped.

The Master smiled. "You seem to want a tour of my house, then you'll get one."

One of the soldiers grabbed the nearest person

"But first, you will tell me where the Doctor is or I'll begin killing...starting with Miss Cooper."

* * *

"How much further to your ship?" Sisrai said as they clambored over another rocky outcrop.

"Not far, another few miles," he answered and then he suddenly stopped.

"What is it?"

"There's someone up ahead, we'll have to skirt round."

He went to turn right but Sisrai stopped him.

"No, you will take me to your vessel. I will not dally...time is short."

Her voice was no longer gentle, not like it had been in the cave. It was cold and harsh and one that expected obedience.

"We will go forward and if they get in the way, you will dispose of them."

She smiled when the Doctor nodded.

They both climbed the rocks and down below in the fading light was a large group and at the centre of it was her father and her brother and unimportant humans.

"You were right," the Doctor said. "He must be looking for us."

"Then we strike first," she said. "You must show no mercy."

The Doctor nodded and said. "Stay here."

She smiled to herself again, he was hers and when they reached the Threshold he would willingly open the gate...but first he would prove it by killing the two things that were more precious than life to him.

* * *

The Master was about to order the soldier to shoot Gwen when he heard it...a whisper of a familiar voice.

"Ni'ala."

He whirled round, unsure of what he'd heard; then it came again...more urgent this time.

"Ni'ala...help me."

He turned to Seska. "I can hear him, your mother. Stay here and make sure they don't escape," and before Seska could protest he was gone.

He scrambled over rocks, following the Doctor's voice and found himself in a small gulley.

Where are you?" he called out.

"Up here," a voice answered and before he had a chance to react a snarling Doctor was on him.

He managed to throw him away and stared at him in shock.

"Eresh'ala...what?"

"Don't call me that, not after what you tried to do," the Doctor snarled.

A shocked look crossed his face as the Doctor produced a knife, not just any knife, but one of Ashena's.

The blade glittered in the moonlight as the Doctor snarled. "I will not let you hurt my daughter, time for you to die and stay dead" and with another snarl he lunged for the Master.


	5. Chapter 5

Seska looked over at the path his father had taken. He said he'd heard his mother and yet he hadn't even sensed him, as Time Lords do.

As he looked an intense feeling of wrongness washed over him; he should have sensed his mother.

He had to find his father.

But there was one problem...the prisoners.

His father's orders were to make sure they didn't escape, but if his father was walking into a trap, he would need one of the prisoners.

Be bold he told himself, the soldiers may be his father's men but their fear of displeasing him was greater than any loyalty they had.

He walked over to the group of men guarding the prisoners.

"I want him for questioning," he said and pointed at Captain Harkness.

He could see one of the men was about to say something. "The Lord Master requires information. He will be displeased if I have none on his return."

He put what he hoped was the right amount of confidence and superiority, with just a little menace in his voice. He was surprised when it worked and Captain Harkness was dragged away from the others.

Two of the guards started to move but he raised his hand.

"I can handle a human," he snapped and grabbed hold of the Captain's coat and began dragging him.

"Move," he snarled and dragged him towards a large boulder.

Once behind it, he let out a relieved breath and said. "Jack Harkness, I need your assistance."

* * *

Jack hadn't tried to resist; he knew it would mean death for some if not all of his team.

What had surprised him was that the Doctor wasn't with the Master, perhaps the info was right and he had stayed behind with another baby.

Then the Master had asked him where the Doctor was, and that had changed everything. Had someone else gotten to him, were the Shadow Proclamation hedging their bets...or had the Doctor taken off on his own?

He'd been thinking about whether this Belial's Child was an actual child or some kind of monstrous creation. He'd been surprised to see Seska there; he'd seemed like a good kid, so like the Doctor, when he was sane. Had he made a huge misjudgement and all of the Master and the Doctor's children were tainted with insanity.

He had no time for more thoughts as he was dragged away, first by the guards and then by Seska.

He was expecting some serious pain, judging by the strength used to drag him.

So, it was a shock when Seska said. "Jack Harkness, I need your assistance."

"What?" he said, not sure he'd heard right.

"I need your assistance. I think my father has been led into a trap. He thinks he has found my mother..."

Jack held up his hand. "Wait a minute...found the Doctor."

Seska let out a breath. "Things have not been right with my mother since Sisrai was born."

"Sisrai?"

"My sister, though I fear she is not my sister. And that is why I ask for your help."

"Why should I help you?"

Seska closed the gap between them. "I know you have feelings for my mother and would not see him harmed."

"Maybe, but he hasn't exactly been friendly of late."

"Mother's mental state is not the problem. Whatever is posing as my sister is. She seems to have an unnatural influence over my mother."

"You think she's something else?"

Seska hesitated. "There were rumours amongst the servants, all superstition or at least I thought, that she was evil...a devil's child."

Jack blinked and the Sister's words slammed home...Belial's Child.

"So, what's it got to do with the Master and why should I care if something happens to him?"

"There was an incident two nights ago, someone was killed and my mother and Sisrai have not been seen since. I fear things have changed and something is not right."

It dawned on Jack. "You think she's not a child anymore?"

"I think she was never a child and now, I think she will use my mother to kill my father."

* * *

The Master landed heavily, his breath taken away by the weight of the Doctor on top of him.

Only his Time Lord reactions saved him as he stopped the arc of the wickedly sharp knife; inches from his face. He tore his gaze from the double-edged blade and locked onto the eyes of the Doctor, and saw nothing but his own death reflected back.

"Si'arila," he breathed, in the hope that his voice would snap the Doctor out of his murderous rage...but to no avail as the Doctor snarled and applied more pressure, giving the Master no choice; he would have to hurt the Doctor.

He squeezed the Doctor's left wrist; one that had been fractured in a fight and had not quite healed. It got the result he wanted and the Doctor let out a cry of pain and the Master was able to push him away.

He rolled away and was quickly on his feet, just seconds before the Doctor got to his.

Neither of them moved. Knowing that when they did it could be fatal for one of them The Master had no doubt that the Doctor intended to kill him; but he needed to know why.

"Have I wronged you in some way, Si'arila?"

"Don't call me that," the Doctor snarled. "And you know what you did."

The Master shook his head. "I don't know, what did I do?"

"Don't act the innocent. Sisrai told me what you did."

The Master frowned. "Sisrai?"

"She told me how you tried to kill her."

"Kill her, why would I want to kill her? And how can she tell you, she's only five."

"Not anymore," a voice said from above.

The Master looked up and saw a young woman, standing on the ledge above...it couldn't be.

"Sisrai?"

The woman ignored and looked at the Doctor. "Stop playing with him and kill him."


	6. Chapter 6

Jack looked at Seska; he could see he was waiting for an answer. He didn't care if some harm came to the Master, but he did care that it might harm the Doctor; so for the Doctor's sake he would help.

"Okay kid, let's go find your dad."

Ten minutes later he was clambering over sharp rocks and loose scree. He was following Seska, who said he could sense the Master; a Time Lord thing. He was finding it hard to keep up; he'd forgotten how much stronger Time Lords were.

He nearly ran into Seska, who had stopped suddenly and he had to fight to stop himself overbalancing.

Seska didn't seem to notice him and when he finally managed to right himself and move next to him, he could see why.

In a small gully, at least sixty feet below, two people were locked in a struggle; one that Jack cared about and two individuals that Seska loved.

"No!" Seska cried.

His shout drew the attention of the person who had gone unnoticed by Seska or Jack, so when she appeared next to Jack he yelped in surprise and was caught off guard.

"Sleep," the woman said and touched his shoulder, and he suddenly felt exhausted, his eyes feeling incredibly heavy. The last thing he saw was Seska falling to the floor and the woman moving off.

He was woken by a very hard slap to the face and his eyes snapped open. He found the Master looming over him and about to deliver another blow.

He grabbed the Master's arm. "Don't think so," and pushed him away.

He struggled to his feet and put what he hoped was a safe distance between himself and the Master.

The Master scowled. "Well that's a nice thank you for bringing you round."

Jack snorted his disbelief.

"Harkness, if I wanted you dead...well for a while, you would be," the Master replied.

"And that deserves a thank you?" Jack said and looked round. "Where's Seska?"

"My son is fine, no thanks to you." Maybe I should kill you, but as much as that would make my day, I once again find myself in need of your help."

Jack smiled at that.

"Don't look so smug, next time it could be you he's trying to kill. I need your help to get him away from whoever that woman was."

He was interrupted by Seska. "It was Sisrai."

The Master looked at him. "How could it be Sisrai, she's five years old."

"It is, she is not...what she seems."

"Don't talk rubbish, boy," the Master snapped. "That woman has your mother and your sister."

"No father!" Seska snapped back. "She's is not my sister or your daughter."

The Master's expression darkened."Are you saying my daughter isn't my daughter?"

Seska moved closer. "Think about it father," he said softly. "Really think about it. Did mother show any signs of being pregnant and you know she grew too quickly, even for a Time Lord."

The Master shook his head. "No, I won't believe it...she's my daughter."

Seska placed a hand on this father's shoulder. "Please father, she blinded you as she has mother. Whatever she is, she is not your daughter."

Jack could see the truth of it slowly take hold, and he saw the facade of belief crumble and he actually felt a twinge of pity.

But that only lasted moments when the Master snarled. "Then whatever she is hasn't got long to live."

"You have to find them first," Jack said.

"Oh, I know exactly where they're going," the Master replied.

* * *

Sisrai let the one that had birthed her lead her towards the place he'd secreted his craft. Not that she needed something as simple as a space craft.

She'd known she was more than a Time Lord from the moment she could form cognitive thought. At first she could not comprehend the power she had, but when she understood, she didn't hesitate.

It hadn't been easy, getting control of the one that birthed her, his mind was strong, and even now she had to remain vigilante.

The one that thought he had fathered her was easier; a simple glamour to shield her true nature; he wasn't needed but the one who birthed her was.

She bided her time, but the nanny had seen through her act and the one called Seska was suspicious. She had disposed of the nanny but she couldn't eliminate Seska. So instead, she played on the protective instinct of the one who birthed her, and now they were on the verge of escaping this planet and nearer to the Gate.

She could sense the one that had fathered her and the one called Seska, they were on their trail; she had to hurry things along.

"Mother, we must hurry. Father knows where you have hidden the ship."

He stopped and turned round. "We're nearly there, we'll be gone before he can catch-up."

He took her hand and started off again but stopped when she hesitated.

He put a hand on her face. "Little one, I won't let him hurt you."

She smiled and let him continue and true to his word, through a small narrow passageway and in a space that was only a little larger that itself was the craft.

The one that birthed her pointed his sonic device at it and a there was the hiss of hydraulics and the door opened.

She stepped inside but he didn't follow, he was looking back down the narrow passageway.

"Stay inside," he said and before she could tell him not to he was gone.

She scowled but could do nothing; she could not leave, she needed the one that birthed her, without him the Gate would remain firmly closed.

* * *

The Doctor was loathe to leave his daughter but he'd sensed the Master and he couldn't let him and whoever was with him stop them from getting away. He'd been a fool...all these years, he hadn't changed.

Lies, it had all been lies and to make it worse, he'd allowed himself to bear his children. Now he saw that he'd been the reason for their deaths; his quest for power had cost him his children...well no more.

He emerged from the passageway and climbed on the rocky ledge above.

He waited for the Master to appear and when he appeared his son was with him and Captain Harkness...off course. He felt his anger rise when he saw the concern on his face...the sanctimonious bastard.

He couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Krisha!" he bellowed. "We are not finished...I will be back and I will kill you!"

He pointed the sonic at the ground and there was a loud rumble and he only waited long enough to see them back away as the ground in front of them cracked and widened until it was a huge chasm.

He jumped down and he ignored the Master, who was calling his name...when his daughter was safe, he would come back and he would finish this. But he put those thought to one side as he climbed into the ship.

"Mother?" Sisrai's voice said.

He didn't reply but busied himself with the control...so he didn't see the smile that crossed his daughter's face.

The craft rose and soon it left the planet and if he'd known what was coming he would have flown the craft into the nearest sun or crashed into the planet; but he didn't see, all he saw was the Master's face and only one thought...revenge.

_**Krisha- murderer**_


	7. Chapter 7

The Master stood on the bridge of his cruiser. It had taken far too long to get back to the city and far too long to get to the cruiser.

It was fortunate that he had found the location of the Doctor's ship and had hidden a tracking device. The deception was now paying dividends as they were following the signal; albeit a very faint signal.

They were hours behind and they were heading for Zendi Station. The Master knew there was only one reason to go to Zendi station...the Uncharted Territories.

Why was the thing pretending to be his daughter taking the Doctor there?

His thoughts were just turning to how he was going to take the imposter apart, when the other thorn in his side strode in.

"What do you want, freak?" he growled.

Harkness grinned. "Is that anyway to speak to your new partner?"

"You are not and never will be a partner. You're a means to an end, that's all."

Harkness feigned hurt. "Well you've got me, like it or not. If your better half is pissed at you, you'll be dead before you can say hello. He's less pissed at me and not at all at Ash here."

"Are you here to gloat?"

Harkness held up his hand. "Not here for that. We're heading for Zendi Station and that means the Unchartered Territories. They won't be going anyway and neither will you."

"I know how the Zendi work," he snapped. "Payment will be made. You will concentrate on finding and taking back what is mine."

"And what if we can't?" Harkness asked.

He looked at Harkness. "Don't worry, I'm not in the habit of killing assets."

* * *

"Stay close to me, Sisrai. Zendi station is not a place for the inexperienced and unwary," the Doctor said as they stepped off the ramp of their ship.

Sisrai looked at him and raised an eyebrow; a gesture that every one of his children inherited. He quickly pushed that thought away; he didn't want to think about lost hopes.

"Mother, you taught me that from the moment I could crawl. Rule Number One...don't wander off."

The Doctor smiled but only briefly as they left the relative safety of the docking ports. His eyes were everywhere, his daughter was a beautiful woman and slavers were everywhere on Zendi Station.

One set of men looked at her for longer than they should and he hustled her along.

They didn't stop until the Doctor felt they were safer, they entered one of the better hostelries and the Doctor paid for two rooms.

"The Paymaster's office is on the top level and will close before I can get to it. I have to go and buy parts to upgrade the ships shields and it's lights down in a few minutes. Stay here and don't leave the room.

"But mother..." she started to say but he cut her off.

"Don't even think it. Do you want to end up as someone's m'sai?"

He said it in that tone of voice that made her flinch, his eyes dark with suppressed anger.

"Sorry mother," she said.

His eyes softened and he put her hands in his. "It's not that I don't trust you. Little one...it's just..." he stopped.

"I know," she said. "I wish I could have met my brothers and sister. I will stay."

"I won't be long and then in the morning we can pay and leave. Once we're in the Unchartered Territories, not even your farther will find us."

With that he turned and left her room and out into the busy thoroughfare.

The lights were already dimming, in an artificial twilight. Soon it would be an artificial night and those that lived in that world would replace the more 'respectable' denizens of the day.

The Paymaster's office was in the better part of the station, safe and secure in the Zendi Warlord's chambers. He had no idea who the current warlord was; not that he cared. He'd stopped caring about the affairs of others when that bullet had entered his sons head, and his hearts had grown cold to the woes of the universe when he'd been betrayed by the one who he'd given his hearts to.

Madness or not, he should not have tried to murder his daughter and himself.

He weaved his way through the crowds and he ignored the calls of the pleasure givers; he had several places to go, things that he needed.

He disappeared into a side street, so he didn't see the one he was trying to protect walk past.

* * *

Sisrai had dropped the contrite daughter act as soon as the one who had birthed her left the room. She scowled; her control over him wasn't as strong as she wished. She would have to change that, and the only way to do that was put herself in harm's way.

It was chancy as her powers were strong but until the Gate was opened she was not all powerful. But she needed to regain control of the one who birthed her; he was the key to the Gate...the one who would be her right hand.

So she left her room and walked out into the street. She looked left and right and saw her key weaving his way through the crowd; good, he was going in the right direction; but she had to make sure that her jeopardy seemed real.

She followed him and when he turned off the main street, she smiled.

She walked past the street and glanced down it; he hadn't even noticed.

She kept going, taking in everything. She decided that this place would be useful...she would spare it.

The buildings around her changed as did the people. She ignored the stares and cat calls; she had one place in mind.

One man said something and grabbed her arm. She turned to him and looked directly at him.

He let go of her and backed away, fear written large across his face.

She approached the area she wanted, searching for the group of men that had paid too much attention to her earlier. As she walked into the area she put on the lost and vulnerable air, baiting the water, waiting for the sharks.

So focused was she that she never noticed the solitary figure following her. She was nearly at her destination when she was suddenly dragged into a darkened alley and a hand smothered her mouth.

"Hello again," a voice said.

She was turned and the hand returned to her mouth; it was the man she'd sent to sleep back on Arkash.

The hand was taken away but she didn't cry out for help; it was only one man, she could handle one man.

She managed to free one arm and touched the man's hand and said. "Sleep."

She expected him to fall but instead he smiled.

"Not this time sister," he said and produced a small canister and a cool strange smelling liquid hit her face.

"Time for you to sleep," he said and his face faded into darkness.

* * *

Jack and Ash had taken a small room on the main thoroughfare.

"They won't be paying tonight," Jack said as he looked out of the window at the building opposite. He'd chosen this room because someone fitting the Doctor's description had been seen entering and not coming out of the building opposite.

He suddenly tensed. "Here we go," he said as the Doctor stepped out.

Ash moved over. "He's on his own."

"Then do what you've got to do," Jack said "Be careful, he may not feel the same way about you."

Jack went back to watching the building opposite and tensed once again as the woman who had rendered him unconscious back on Arkash exited the building, and went the same way as the Doctor...and Ash.

"Not this time," he said and rapidly left their room.

He followed the woman until he saw his opportunity and got ahead of her and waited in a darkened alley. As she passed he reached out and covering her mouth pulled her into the alley.

"Hello again," he said.

She tried the same trick again. "Not this time sister," he said.

He felt the surge of energy from her and he was ready this time.

"Time for you to sleep," he said and pulled out a canister of Serum Five.

He never even bothered to catch her as she fell; he just left her...all he wanted was to find Ash and find the Doctor.

* * *

Ash followed the Doctor, keeping as many people in front of him without losing sight of him.

He followed him down the side street and waited until he was pre-occupied with some piece of equipment.

He walked up slowly, hoping to catch him unaware...but he saw the Doctor's shoulders tense and then he turned.

"Hello Doctor," Ash said.

The Doctor said nothing...the look on his face unreadable.

Ash tensed, expecting an attack...instead he got a full on passionate kiss.

"Ash!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I thought I'd never see you again...not after that bastard separated us."

Ash smiled but inside his heart was aching for what he had to do. He fingered the syringe in his pocket and returned the hug and plunged the syringe into the Doctor's neck.

"I'm sorry," he said and the look of hurt at his betrayal pulled at his very soul.

He caught the Doctor as he fell...knowing that he was going have to return him to the Master and that broke his heart.

He knew he had no choice and pressed his com. "Jack, I've got him."

* * *

m'sai- whore


	8. Chapter 8

Jack couldn't believe how easy it had been; he was certain something was going to go wrong...he was right.

"The docks are in lock down, something about a Nazilium leak," the Master said over Jack's com.

"You do know he's going to be seriously pissed when he comes round."

"I'm sure you can handle him," the reply came.

"Right," Jack said as he was cut off.

He looked over at the still unconscious Time Lord; it wouldn't be long. The Master had said he was building up a resistance to the sedative the Master used when the Doctor's psychosis was bad.

That surprised Jack, the Master admitting that the Doctor was ill. He had noticed the way the Master's features softened when he spoke of him...another change.

Ash was sitting on the bed next to him. He looked at Jack, his face lined with worry.

"He's going to hate me," he said.

"You don't know that," Jack replied.

"You didn't see the hurt on his face. He'll think I've betrayed him."

"If he does, it'll be me that he'll go for."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "We're about to find out," he said as the Doctor's brow furrowed and let out a low groan.

"Move away," Jack said as the Doctor became more animated.

"But he's cuffed."

"Move, they won't stop him if he's angry enough."

The Doctor let out a soft growl and that made Ash move and Jack took his place.

It took a few more moments before the Doctor opened his eyes.

At first they were unfocused and Jack watched him intently, looking for signs that the Doctor was becoming fully aware.

He knew his reaction to seeing him would be instant and he wasn't disappointed.

The Doctor blinked and his eyes flicked to his right and they widened and darkened, and Jack knew he was not going to get a sane Doctor.

Seconds later a snarl accompanied the Doctor's sudden movement.

"Harkness," he snarled and lunged for him but he was stopped by the handcuffs attached to his left wrist and locked to the sturdy pipe that ran down the wall next to the bed.

"Unless you want a broken arm I'd stay still," Jack said in a reasonable tone.

But the Doctor was not in a reasonable mood, he spat Gallifreyan at Jack and strained against the cuffs; the pipe creaked but held and the Doctor was pulled back by the cuff.

"Like I said, stay still."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes but didn't move again.

"That's more like it," Jack said.

"Where's my daughter? If you've hurt her"

"I said quiet," Jack repeated.

The Doctor ignored the warning. "If you've hurt her, I'll find a way to take back what Rose gave you and I will kill you."

Jack didn't rise to the bait but instead said in the same reasonable tone. "You daughter, if that's what she is, will have nothing more than a headache when she comes round."

"You left her unconscious in some alley. She's an innocent amongst wolves."

Jack was about to reply when what sounded like a scream, a very angry sounding scream came through the window.

Jack looked out of the window, everyone had stopped; the sound was like a tidal wave.

Then as if some primal instinct had been plucked from every person, the crowd began to move as one.

The reason became clear when Jack looked out of the window and up the thoroughfare; walking down it, following the receding crowds was the woman and she looked extremely angry.

She stopped directly under the window and looked up.

He could see even from here that her eyes were solid black.

She spoke. "There's no point in lying, I know you have what I want."

* * *

Sisrai woke with a start and found herself staring at the metal floor of the station. Her head felt fuzzy ad there was a strange taste in her mouth.

At first her brain felt fuzzy, as were her thoughts. Then it came to her with crystal clear clarity...that man, he'd...no.

She reached out for the mind of her key. It was faint but it was not far away.

As she gathered her wits, she gathered her power and strode out of the alley. The people ahead of her ran like frightened prey, but she wasn't interested in them; not yet.

She stopped outside the building and she looked up and saw the man. Her anger flashed and she called out.

"Give him back to me."

"That's a fine way to talk about your mother," the man replied.

"What he is is not your concern. Return him to me and I will let you live."

"Don't think so," the man said.

This man was beginning to irritate her. "You will give me back my key."

The man smiled. "Now we're getting to it. Not your mother then?"

Sisrai pushed down her irritation; time was running short.

"He gave birth to me...a vessel for my entrance to this universe. You will return my key."

The man shook his head. "Nuh-uh, you'll have to come a fetch him. If you can."

She let out a growl of annoyance and said. "Remember, I gave you fair warning."

She closed her eyes and gathered her power. She opened them again and arcs of lightning blue sparked across the black.

She smiled when she saw the look of surprise on the man's face as she began to rise; she would have her key.

* * *

Jack challenged the woman, who he knew for certain now wasn't the Doctor's daughter. If she wanted the Doctor, she would have to come and get him.

He flicked a glance at the Doctor, who seemed unfazed by the woman's words.

"Problem, Captain?"

Jack turned back and if he could believe his eyes, the woman was starting to rise off the floor.

He whipped round and said to Ash. "Take him and get out of here."

"But..."

"Take him and go!"

He threw the keys to the cuffs at Ash and watched as he undid them and snapped one end on his wrist.

"Go!"

The urgency in his voice made Ash move and he yanked the Doctor to his feet and dragged him out of the room.

Jack turned back to the window, just as the woman reached the window.

"Where is my key?" she said.

"Where you'll never find him," he said.

She hissed in annoyance. "I hope you have a high tolerance for pain," she snarled.

A bolt of electric blue shot out and hit Jack in the chest, throwing him back and hitting the wall with a painful thud.

He didn't fall but was impaled against the wall by the bolt.

The woman floated through the window and alighted onto the floor and walked forward, her eyes sparking with the same electric blue.

She glanced over at the now empty bed and then advanced.

"Where is my key?"

"Like I said...gone," he gasped, the heat from the blue light was not hot but cold. He could feel his skin blistering with frost bite.

The woman was right opposite him now and although he knew she wasn't the Doctor's child, the resemblance was enough to be unsettling.

The woman reached out a hand and ran a finger down his cheek and then smiled.

"You're immortal, how interesting. Then I can keep killing you until I get my answer."

"Never!" Jack spat.

His words turned into a cry of pain as he felt his chest burn and his heart with it.


	9. Chapter 9

Ash dragged the Doctor out of the fire door and down the fire escape. His whole arm and shoulder ached from pulling him, as he was taking every opportunity to drag his heels.

"Move!" he snarled and yanked the cuffs harder.

He'd heard the cry of pain from the room he'd just vacated and the quiet that followed and it drove him to move faster. He was also driven by the fear of losing the Doctor to whatever that woman was.

He managed to drag the Doctor as far as the small square that preceded the entrance to the docks.

Then the Doctor finally put the brakes on, perhaps he realised where they were going. Ash now knew he hadn't been using all of his strength.

The Doctor gave him a cold smile and pulled, but the smile turned to a look of dismay when the cuffs didn't break.

"Time Lord proof, seems Jack was right."

"Please let me go. Don't take me back to him," the Doctor said.

"Sorry, but I have others to think about," Ash said and started to pull.

The Doctor resisted. "You don't understand, he'll kill me."

Ash shook his head. "I doubt that."

The Doctor pulled back. "Please Ash, if you ever cared about me."

Ash stopped then and pulled the Doctor forward. "Of course I care, don't ever think I never cared."

"Then let me go," the Doctor said.

Ash wanted to, he really did but he'd grown to like Ianto and Gwen.

He never expected the Doctor's next move and the sound of snapping metal preceded the Doctor dangling the broken cuffs in front of his face.

Before he could react the Doctor took off, making for the alley that Ash had pulled him down. Ash knew he could never catch him so he pulled out the tranq-gun, aimed and fired.

The Doctor stumbled but to Ash's shock he leapt for one of the pull down fire ladders and began climbing.

Ash moved then as the Doctor swayed and let go, crashing to the ground, his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

"No, no," Ash said as he skidded to a halt and crouched down beside the Doctor.

He knew he shouldn't move him but he had no choice and lifted the Doctor's head; it was a bloody mess.

"Damn it," he hissed...now he was in trouble. He had an injured man and no way of getting him to safety.

He was starting to panic when a miracle appeared.

* * *

The guards came to attention when the ambulance pulled up. The driver wound the window down.

"Transporting an emergency patient."

"We're locked down," one of the guards said.

The driver handed him a transit docket.

The guard tensed. "Unlock the gates," he said "When you get past the gates turn left, the warlord's personal transport is at the end. You'll get instant clearance."

The driver nodded and drove through the gates.

* * *

Ash daren't breathe until the gates had closed; that had been the easy part.

It had been a stroke of luck when the ambulance had appeared, and it was more than luck that the ambulance had stopped and almost impossible that it had been carrying a relative of the ruler of this happy little hell hole.

He left the unconscious driver and the relative in the same alley and had managed to get the Doctor into the back.

Now all he had to do was get onto the smallish cruiser that was looming large. Again it seemed luck was on his side as the only person on board was the pilot. A pulse pistol stuck in his face was enough to persuade him to co-operate.

Once they were out of the station's defensive zone he hit the pilot with Retcon.

He sat in the pilot's seat and entered new co-ordinates but didn't set them. He knew he had to take the Doctor back to the Master, but he was injured and doubted the Master would take too kindly to that.

He had some medical training, but he was no medic. He set the cruiser to auto-pilot and went in search of the ships medical kit.

Jack gasped back into life to find he was alone. The woman had gone; she must have got what she wanted.

He went to touch his com but it was gone, he had no way of knowing where Ash and the Doctor were and no way of stopping the woman id she caught up with them.

It also meant he couldn't contact the Master...he was truly on his own. He guessed that Ash had taken the Doctor to the docks, even if they were in lock down; he was smart enough to find a way past it.

He left the building and found the people were returning and it was making it difficult for him to move freely. He was wasting precious time but he couldn't start pushing people; he didn't want any unnecessary attention.

He needed off this station and loathe as he was to admit he, he needed the Master's help.

Ash finished dressing the Doctor's wound, it wasn't deep and his pupils were even...so no concussion; he hoped, he didn't know what was normal for a Time Lord.

The Doctor let out a groan and Ash was instantly alert, wary of what Doctor he was going to get. He was expecting him to be angry but when he opened his eyes they were confused and when they focused on Ash they widened.

Ash then found himself being crushed, not by an angry Doctor but a tearful one.

"Ash! I thought White Coat had you killed!"

Ash blinked...something was very wrong...the head wound, it must have done some damage after all. He knew it was wrong but...

"Him, he was only interested in you."

He disentangled himself and said. "I'm sorry about your son."

The Doctor's smile dropped and his eyes flashed with anger. "I'll kill him for that," then he winced.

"Calm down," Ash said. "You took a nasty blow to the head."

"What?"

"When we escaped, you fell."

"Escaped?"

"You don't remember," Ash said, his conscience burning with the lie.

The Doctor was silent for a moment and stared into nothing. He let out a sigh.

"Must have been the blow. It'll come back to me...or not. But we escaped, that's the important bit...so, where are we?"

Ash hesitated for a second. "Zendi space."

"Zendi? But that's next to the Unchartered Territories."

"I thought it would be the best place to hide. Was it the wrong thing to do?"

* * *

"No," the Doctor said and put a hand on Ash's face. "You did what you thought was right," and leaned in and kissed Ash.

"Thank you for not turning me into the authorities."

Never, to us foot soldiers you're a hero. It's only the suits that think you're a criminal."

He smiled. "Been called that more times than I can remember.

He hissed when he moved.

"I said stay still. I'm not a medic, it's just a field dressing," Ash said.

He touched the back of his head."It's a good one," he said through a yawn.

"Sleep," Ash said. "We have to wait for clearance. It'll be a few hours."

The Doctor kissed him again. "I don't want to sleep."

* * *

The Doctor sighed a word in that beautiful language of his.

"What does that mean?" Ash asked as he ran a hand down the Doctor's stomach and along that smattering of hair that led to...

"It means many things," the Doctor replied, his voice soft. "It means, joy, contentment, bliss...oh sweet Rassilon," he breathed as Ash moved lower.

"Does it mean that as well?" Ash said as he felt the Doctor harden.

Ash thought he would never feel this again, that buzz he got; the thrill of knowing that the man he now held in his hand was one of the most powerful of a powerful race.

He felt his own erection harden when the Doctor said something else in a language that he did understand...something along the lines of hurry up and...he didn't waste time and slid between the Doctor's legs and let out a groan of pleasure when long legs were wrapped round his waist.

The odd cool sensation as he entered the Doctor sent a thrill through him and he lost himself in that feeling and revelled in the sounds coming from the Doctor and as he spilled inside the Doctor.

They lay in each other's arms, staring at the roof of the cruiser.

Ash was content until the Doctor said. "Don't die on me like the Master."

Ash knew then that the Doctor would never truly belong to him and his heart sank and he knew what he had to do next and what he was about to do could ruin the Doctor's trust in him forever.

"About that..." he said.


	10. Chapter 10

"The Master's alive?" the Doctor said.

Then he wet quiet, which Ash knew wasn't a good sign. When he spoke again it was in an even and neutral tone.

"My husband is alive and you forgot to mention it?"

Then he exploded and Ash found himself against the wall and struggling for breath, the Doctor's hand around his throat.

"My husband, the man I've been mourning for the last year is alive, and you forgot to mention it. What else did you forget!?"

"Doctor...please," Ash managed to gasp out.

He looked into the Doctor's eyes and saw rage, rage directed at him.

"Doctor," he managed to choke out.

"Gah! You're not worth it," he snarled and let go.

Ash drew in huge whoops of sweet oxygen, whilst the Doctor prowled like a twitchy panther.

He could only watch and listen as the Doctor talked to himself; if half the truth had done this, then what would the whole truth do.

"Why do I do it...open my hearts to them?" the Doctor said as he paced. "They're treacherous, traitorous, two-faced..."

He fell silent then and focused once more on Ash. "Is there anything else you haven't told me? The time to confess is now, while I might still have some mercy."

Ash swallowed; that statement was loaded...but he had the feeling that whatever he said he was dead, so...

* * *

The Master was getting anxious...it was taking too long.

He'd had enough. "Damn the restrictions, take us in," he growled.

He knew there were defensive weapons, but they would be no match for his ship's shield. He was beginning to wonder why he hadn't just invaded the station...but of course he hadn't, he couldn't risk the Doctor getting injured or worse, killed.

Now he had the feeling that something had gone wrong and it was time to do something; time to do what he did best, invade and conquer.

The cruiser made short work of the distance and of course he was challenged, and he had shattered the gun turrets in a myriad pieces.

Whoever was in charge sent out fighters to stop him but the sleek dark shapes that were his ghost fighters made short work of them.

He knew the Zendi would come after him, but he didn't care. His soldiers searched the whole station and found neither the Doctor nor the thing that was posing as his daughter.

But they did find the freak, who was now standing in front of him.

"Well, where is he?"

Harkness said nothing and the Master took that as not good news.

"Where is he Harkness?"

Harkness spoke then. "He's gone."

The Master felt his left eye twitch. "Very observant...gone where?"

"I don't know, I told Ash..."

"He's with the blond," the Master cut in.

Harkness shook his head. "I'm not sure, I was dead for a while and my com was gone, as was Sisrai."

The Master scowled and barked. "Send out the ghosts, stop any vessel they find and find the Doctor."

He turned his attention back to Harkness. "You'd better hope he is with the blond. Assets can soon become liabilities. Put him in the cells with the others."

Harkness had only just been escorted out of the door when it hit him...his name, not the one he'd chosen at his naming day but his true name, one that only a few knew...one that the only last living person of that select group knew, and the voice was one he thought he would not hear again.

That voice was full of such emotions that it made his head hurt...such loneliness, so much sadness and grief that tore at his hearts...why was there grief?

He sent out an answer to the call, he whispered the Doctor's true name and could only hope that it would reach and that he would hear it.

* * *

The Doctor sat in the pilot's seat, he glanced back at the unconscious Ash...humans, born liars.

As if he would have a child that would become an adult in six months and had become some dangerous and powerful creature. As if he would believe the Master tried to kill him; that was all in the past, their bond proved it.

He was concerned that he couldn't sense the master. He put it down to the blow to his head; he still couldn't recall what had happened...so he had no idea if any of what Ash had said was true.

If the Master was still alive then his world had become a little less bleak, and he would have someone to share the grief of the loss of Jakaar.

He let his sorrow well to the surface and set it out, a wave of loneliness, grief and anguish, all encapsulated in one word...the Master's true name; if he was alive he would respond.

He waited for a reply, but it never came...it had been another lie.

Then there was no point in going, was there?

His soul mate was gone, all but one of his children were dead and the one that still lived was lost. Then he might as well join them. When it was time to regenerate, he would not. He would head for the Unchartered Territories; he was sure he could find death there.

He changed whatever co-ordinates Ash had set and was about to move off when it came...not as strong as his bit it was definitely the Master.

It was just one word...but it was all he needed and all thoughts of death fled.

It was then that the proximity went off and the ship went dark, and a voice echoed in the dark.

"Did you think you could escape me...my key."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Here's an ending I hope no-one saw coming...**_

Jack was shoved into a darkened cell.

"Hey, easy!" he said as he landed with a painful thud.

Silence answered him and he stood and straightened his coat. The cell felt large and he had the odd feeling that he wasn't alone.

"Anyone else here?" he called.

"Jack?" Gwen's voice came back. "Thank god you're alive."

Out of the semi-darkness Gwen appeared, followed by Ianto.

"It's good to see you, sir," Ianto's said.

Jack let out a sigh of relief...they were alive.

Then two more voices chimed in, two he never expected to hear again; Jason and Draz and they joined the others.

Then a third voice, one he didn't want to hear piped up.

"We'll have to stop meeting like this, Captain flirts-a-lot."

"Donna," he groaned. "How?"

She moved into the light and smiled.

"Got caught by crazy boy at the same time as Jason and Draz."

"Are you okay, did he hurt you?"

"He wouldn't dare," Donna replied "Have you seen the Doctor?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"Is he okay?"

"Last time I saw him."

"He's not here? Has he finally come to his senses and dumped that loony?"

Jack frowned, didn't she know what was going on. "Donna, how long have you and the others been here."

There was pause and then Donna said. "Six months, give or take."

Jack was taken aback by that and was silent for a few moments. Then Jason's voice spoke.

"Has something happened?"

"Out with it," Donna said. "Is the Doctor okay?"

Jack sighed and started to tell them what had happened.

"Another child and she turned out to be the daughter from hell...figures," Jason said after Jack had finished.

"So, the Master no longer has control of the Doctor," Draz said. "But it seems he has gone from one devil to another."

"I hope not...he doesn't need anyone else using him," Gwen said.

"I'm hoping Ash has got him somewhere safe," Jack said.

"Ash...I knew it. I knew he was more than just a temporary team member!" Ianto exclaimed.

Jack bridled at the hint of jealousy in Ianto's voice. "It's not like that...he's only interested in the Doctor and the Doctor's not interested in me!"

The stunned everyone into silence, until Gwen spoke.

"The Doctor certainly has a thing for blondes."

It seemed to lighten the mood...slightly.

"I take it the Master's not happy?" Ianto said.

"That's an understatement," Jack said. "If he wants to hurt anyone, let him take it out on me."

The all shook their heads but they knew that nothing they could do or say would stop him.

Donna sat down next to Jack. "I'm sure the Doctor's with Ash."

Jack didn't share Donnas' hope. He'd felt Sisrai's power and knew that Ash world be no match for her, and as for the Doctor...who knew how he would handle her.

* * *

The Doctor had tried to resist the woman but she had torn through his mental defences.

He was now on his knees, forced to them by the woman. His head was pounding with the effort of holding her at bay and sweat trickled down his face and tickled his back.

"Why do you resist me? You are my key and you will obey me."

"I am not anyone's key and I obey no-one!" he managed to spit out.

The woman scowled and grabbed his hair, causing the dressing on his wound to move and fall away.

He winced, not just at the woman tugging his hair, but the pain of the wound splitting.

The woman removed her hand and examined the blood on her hand.

"You are damaged," she said.

He heard concern in her voice but he doubted it was out of true feeling. He was right, as she once again grabbed his hair and yanked his head up and stared into his eyes.

He felt her presence in his mind and it made his mind crawl.

"The damage is not serious, only memories lost that are not needed."

The pain became unbearable and he couldn't stop the cry that escaped his lips.

"Please...it hurts!"

"Then submit to me," the woman said.

He wanted to but the Storm inside refused to. "No!" he spat.

The woman hissed at his defiance. "You are my key and you will submit," she snarled.

The pain increased and this time even the Storm quailed at defying her.

"Please...stop," he whimpered.

The woman smiled and took her hand off his head and placed it under his chin.

"Then stand my key and let us forget the past."

She looked over at the still unconscious Ash.

"You have feelings for this human. If you desire it my key, I will spare him from the devastation that is to come, a gift for your loyalty."

The Doctor glanced at Ash; he should hate him, but he didn't...but he didn't love him either, yet he didn't want any harm to come to him.

"I would like that," he said.

"Then it is done. Now my key, bring your prize, the Gates are waiting."

The Doctor nodded and now that he knew his place he was happy. He hefted Ash onto his shoulder and followed the woman...following her to a destiny he really should have ran from.

He laid Ash on the floor and went to join the woman. He sat in the pilot's seat and the woman placed a hand on his.

"Let us go, the Gates await the key."

* * *

The Master's anger had subsided slightly when the report came back that a single ship had been seen heading for the Uncharted Territories. He didn't have to guess as to whom it was...the human and with him what was his.

He gave the order for the cruiser to follow and like a slumbering goliath it moved forward.

He was distracted from his dark thoughts by the arrival of Seska, who looked so much like the Doctor that it hurt his hearts. He was beginning to wonder if the universe really did hate him...well, he hated it back.

"Father, I need to talk to you about mother."

The Master now gave him his full attention. "What about your mother?"

"I have been reviewing the last scans we did."

"And?"

Seska hesitated. "I think I have found what is triggering his psychosis."

"I know what triggers it."

"No, I don't know how they missed it...all those scans."

The Master got off his chair and moved over to Seska. "What did they miss?"

Seska handed him a portable bio-scanner.

"You wouldn't notice it, not if you were looking for something else. It's so small...but it's there."

The Master looked at the screen. "Is that a micro-chip?"

Seska nodded and took the screen back and enhanced the image.

"It looks human in design."

"Human, they don't have the technology."

"As I said, it looks human," Seska said and magnified it again.

The Master's eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

"But that's impossible...how can it be?"

He blinked but the truth was still there...as clear as day, next to a set of human letters and numbers was the unmistakable swirls and patterns of his own language...Gallifreyan.


	12. Chapter 12

Ash slowly came back to consciousness, then the pain of the bruises around his throat brought him to full awareness. He managed to het to his elbows, only to find himself staring in to face of the person that had put them there.

The person was holding a jar in his hand.

"For the bruises," the Doctor said and held out the jar.

Ash didn't move and the Doctor placed the jar on the floor and moved away and crouched down a few feet away.

"It's not poison," he said.

Ash said nothing, wary of this sudden charity.

"Fine, if you don't want it," the Doctor said and reached for the jar.

"Please, thank you," Ash said and snatched it away.

The Doctor smiled but Ash was still wary; a cobra charmed its prey before striking.

"It's Silsash Oil," the Doctor said.

Ash nodded but still kept his distance, one eye on the Doctor and the other of the door.

"She's not interested in you," the Doctor said. "She just wants to open the Gates."

Somehow Ash knew that wasn't a good thing.

"But you'll be safe, she promised to keep you safe."

That definitely didn't sound good. "Safe from what?"

A fire is coming," the Doctor answered.

And you're fine with that?" Ash said.

"She needs me...that's all that matters," the Doctor replied and stood.

"Use all of it," he said and moved to the door.

"Doctor..."Ash started to say but the Doctor put his hand up.

* * *

"Don't think I've forgotten the lies. She may have spared your life, but you may still wish she hadn't."

"How is that possible?" his father asked.

Seska turned the screen off and said. "He has been in the hands of those that are capable of it."

He was careful how he phrased the words but it didn't make any difference.

"Humans," his father snarled. "I will end them."

Seska knew he had to diffuse his father's anger. "In time, father. But we must find mother, so I can study the chip."

His father was silent for a moment. "Do you think he knows?"

Seska shook his head. "I doubt it, and I doubt he would have gone willingly to the operating table."

"Then someone forced him and butchered him."

"Father, we need to get mother back."

His father blinked. "Of course," he said and pressed his com. "Have you found anything?"

"Yes, my lord," came the reply and Seska waited whilst his father listened.

"Then take us in."

The Unchartered Territories were very much like the maps of ancient times...'here be dragons' and all of that.

What was known was that pirates skimmed along the edges...but they were no threat to the cruiser that sailed without hesitation into it.

But much worse lay deeper inside it...or so the stories said... stories of ships being found abandoned, garbled messages of being attacked and over-run by something or somethings and...well things were found that were best hidden, so as not to upset the relatives; but still the whispers pervaded...cannibals.

The Master had heard such tales, but it didn't stop him sending the cruiser into it, but worry gnawed at his belly, even the Doctor could be overwhelmed by sheer force of numbers.

The thought of the Doctor being torn to piece and devoured like so much meat flashed through his mind...no, he wasn't going to let that happen.

"Any trace of the craft," he said to one of the crew.

"No, my lord, but there is only one course they can take."

"And where is that?"

"Straight for the centre, my lord."

The Master let out a breath, what was at the centre of this god forbidden place that Sisrai wanted and what had it to do with the Doctor?

"Then follow it and make sure everyone is on high alert."

* * *

The smaller craft made its way past a shattered moon and what looked like a planet that once may have held life.

"There are tales about the Unchartered Territories," the Doctor said.

Sisrai wasn't particularly interested but if it kept her key amused and his mind of what was to come, then she would listen.

"We have nothing to fear," she replied.

"Never say that," he said. "There are things here that even my people would have stayed away from."

"But they were not us, my key and you will learn that."

"There's a human saying about pride before a fall."

As if he had made it happen, the alarm sounded on the proximity alert. The Doctor looked at the screen.

"A vessel...it's large and it's coming in...fast!"

Before Sisrai could reply the ship lurched violently.

"Energy net!" the Doctor yelled and the ship began to move. "We're being pulled in!"

Sisrai hadn't expected an attack so soon and it had taken her by surprise, some mysteries in this place were unknown, even to her.

They could do nothing as they were pulled towards a large vessel that was now approaching fast.

It was a mish-mash of different designs, like it had been put together in a junkyard but it wasn't that which worried the Doctor as they were pulled towards it...it was the things that adorned the outside...the rotting or skeletal remains of what were once living people.

Cannibals!


	13. Chapter 13

The snarls and screeches echoed down the corridor and through the door that was sealed shut.

The Doctor wiped the blood from his eyes and drew in much needed oxygen.

At first there had been only one or two and he'd held them off; but soon the two became a pack and like a pack they'd managed to separate their prey. He had no idea where Sisrai was and he didn't care where the human called Ash was; he didn't even know if Sisrai was alive.

Now he was running for his lives; not that he was making it easy for them, the blood of his pursuers was mixed with his as he took the few precious minutes of respite to gather his wits and energy.

He leant against the door and wiped more blood and sweat from his eyes. He blinked away blurred vision; one of the pack had managed to land a blow and now his head was ringing.

The door suddenly moved and he knew his time was up and it was time to fight...fight or die.

The door shifted and buckled and the snarls of the very hungry and angry cannibals filled his ears; not the hadn't faced cannibals before, but at least against the Future Kind he'd had a chance, but this time there was no vortex manipulator, only the door between him and what he could only hope was a quick death.

The door he was leaning against started to shift sideways and a gap appeared and the sound of death grew louder. He shot away from the door and shifted his grip on the machete he'd taken from one of the cannibals he'd killed.

The door was wrenched back and his pursuers poured through the door, some brandishing the same weapon he held. Others carried none but were adorned with the bones of former meals.

He'd learnt quickly that these were the dangerous ones; he had several bites to prove it. He stared them straight in the eyes and there was that moment between adversaries...the calm before the battle.

Then one of them snarled and the Doctor returned the snarl and the group moved as one.

Then the Doctor felt it, a wave of rage that blasted his mind. The effect of the cannibals was more visible as their snarls turned to howls of pain and they turned and ran. As he lost consciousness he saw Sisrai, arms outstretched, eyes blazing gold...then he knew nothing.

* * *

Ash had dropped the jar as the craft suddenly lurched and braced himself against the side as it lurched again.

The door opened and the woman appeared, followed by the Doctor. His pulse pistol was shoved at him and the sound of the door being forced caught his attention and all hell broke loose.

He found he had no time to think about the Doctor or the woman; all he could do was keep himself alive.

Another one of his pursuers dropped and the group following him was now becoming severely depleted. But his pulse pistol was running low and soon he would be defenceless.

For a few moments he was out of their sight and he dove into what looked like an open air vent. He froze when they approached his hiding place and sniffed the air.

Then what sounded like someone howling caused the sniffing to stop and then the sound of footsteps receding; they must have found other prey...no, victim, which meant either the woman or god forbid the Doctor.

He wanted to move but he knew he would be useless, his pulse pistol was depleted and he would soon be overwhelmed in a hand to hand.

So he stayed where he was and then if he could believe his eyes, the metal of the vent began to move and fold in on itself. Then he felt intense pain, it felt like his insides were being twisted and pulled out of him and he blacked out.

* * *

Sisrai had never come across cannibals before and she was unprepared for their savagery. At first she'd managed to stick with her key and was impressed with his skills as a warrior; they would be useful in the future.

But then it had fallen apart and somehow they had been separated, and she found herself being cornered by four of them.

They looked at her with hungry eyes and she felt...wait a minute, what was she doing, she was soon to be the ruler of an entire empire; she shouldn't be afraid of these savages.

Her key, without which she would have nothing was in danger of being taken from her and that she was not going to allow.

Quashing her fear she drew on the power that she had and without a second thought lashed out and the four cannibals turned to ash. She advanced down the corridor, burning any that she found, until she came upon the largest group and she sensed her key, sensed his fear.

She sent out a wave of anger and an image she'd torn from the minds of the others, and their terrified screams told her it had worked.

As they scattered in fright, she saw her key, covered in blood; she saw him collapse and she felt his fear.

She watched as the cannibals fled in terror but she was interested, she was only interested in her key.

"This is taking too long," she said.

She knelt beside her key and wiped away the blood.

His eyes opened and he whispered. "Sisrai?"

"It's time for you to fulfil your purpose, my key. Enough travelling by such primitive methods"

She placed her hands on his head and entered his mind and delved deep inside, deep into the place where all his power resided.

"I'm sorry my key, but this is going to hurt."

When he tried to move away from her she tightened her grip on his head and closed her ears to the cries that followed.

The walls around them began to warp and fold and suddenly the whole of the cannibal's vessel winked out of existence.

* * *

The Master felt it first, a tear in the fabric of the vortex and seconds later the walls and the crew of the bridge began to warp and as his ship winked out of existence he heard the cries of the Doctor and then he knew nothing but pain.


	14. Chapter 14

Jack had felt it first; it twisted his guts like someone was wringing it out like a wet rag. His eyesight blurred and he felt his whole self twist and begin to pull apart...then nothing.

A few seconds later the cell wall coalesced. What the hell had just happened?

He looked over at the others; they were out cold. His head felt like it was full of cotton wool, and he couldn't think.

His head finally cleared and with nasty clarity, he knew what had happened. The last time he'd felt that the skies had ripped open and the Toclafane had poured into the 21st Century.

That meant that something or someone extremely powerful had arrived. He looked at his cell mates again and wondered if the rest of the crew were affected, and he knew if he felt it, then the Master would have felt it; even more than he did.

A sound caught his attention and he looked at the cell door...had it moved?" No, he must have been hearing things. Then he saw it move...was it possible?

He got to his feet and with every nerve and muscle taut he moved towards the door and touched it.

It swung open and he winced when it clanged against the wall. He expected to be rushed by guards, but none appeared. He peered round the door and found the guards were just like his cell mates.

He knew he should stay with them, but the opportunity to turn the tables on the Master was too tempting.

"Sorry guys," he said and walked out of the cells.

* * *

The Master woke with a start and panicked...his time sense was scrambled and the cries of the Doctor still echoed in his mind...what was the human doing to him?

As his mind cleared, he began to realise it couldn't be the human, which meant it could only be the witch.

Whatever she was, she couldn't have had the power to warp time and shift the temporal vortex. Only a Time Lord could do that, and the cries still echoing in his mind told him that the Doctor had not done it willingly.

Oh... she was going to pay.

He shook his head to clear his scrambled senses and the last of the faint echoes of the Doctor's cries. There was only one good thing came out of the Doctor's suffering: he now knew exactly where the witch was taking him.

He blinked away the last of his blurred vision and then saw that his bridge crew were all unconscious...of course, their tiny minds would not have been able to cope with it.; he would have to pilot the ship himself then.

A movement to his left alerted him that maybe not everybody was out. He drew in a breath through his nose and wrinkled it in disgust.

"You might as well come out, freak, your smell gives you away."

He glanced at Harkness as he appeared, he'd seem someone else behind him.

"I take it the temporal shift has caused a power outage."

"Guess so," Harkness said.

The Master gestured with his head at the stolen weapon that was being pointed at him.

"So pull the trigger."

Harkness shook his head. "What and give the Doctor another reason to hate me and make you a martyr."

"As if that's going to happen," then Master said and smiled when Seska stepped up to Harkness and placed his own weapon against Harkness's neck.

"You should consider yourself lucky that I need your limited talents."

* * *

"Wake up my key, we are here," a soft voice broke through the dark and the pain. He opened one eye but shut it instantly, the light was too much.

"No my key, you must wake up. The gates are calling...can't you hear them?"

He opened both eyes and took a few moments to let his senses return and his nerves that were jangling to calm. At first he heard nothing, his mind was still buzzing from the temporal shift.

Then there was a sound, faint at first; it was slightly discordant music and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard.

He looked up at the woman. "I hear it, it's beautiful."

She smiled. "Then let us go," she said and held out a hand, which he took and hauled himself up.

She led him to what must have been at one time an observation window. Hanging like some damaged jewel was a planet; the cracks were obvious, even from orbit.

Something catastrophic had happened to it and everything that was Time Lord in him wanted to run.

"I don't know this planet," he said.

"It's been nameless since its creation. The gates are there and that is where we have to go."

"I'll find a shuttle."

She shook her head. "We do not, you do not need such things."

He flinched when she put a hand to his head, but she steadied him with a hand on his chest.

"Do not be afraid...picture the planet, my key."

He closed his eyes and he saw it, a barren place, nothing but rocks and scorched earth.

"I see it...there's something...in the distance."

"That's it, now take us there," the woman said.

He let out a gasp as pain shot through him and the metal of the ship disappeared and was replaced by the image that had formed in his head.

He looked round in surprise; had he done that?

The woman smiled. "You have such power within you, yet you never use it. You could be a god, you will be a god. Come, we must go, we must be at the gates at the right time."

She moved but he did not.

"Why do you hesitate?"

She stepped closer and despite being shorter than him managed to look into his eyes. It was like looking into dark pools with liquid fire in their depths.

"Whatever life or loves you have mean nothing. A fire is coming and it will burn all of this away. You will forget...forget love...forget friendship...forget the hurt and the pain they have caused you...there will only be me."

As she spoke the words he found he no longer cared about anything but pleasing her and opening the Gates would please her.

He looked to the west and in his mind's eye he could see the Gates, crackling and fizzing with power.

He was so focused on leading her to the Gates and pleasing her, that he didn't notice her eyes become oily black...not that he would have cared.

He only had eyes for the gate.


	15. Chapter 15

There will be another chapter of Belial's Child coming soon...real life taking precedent at the moment.


	16. Chapter 16

"Cannibals!" the Master spat in disgust as he wiped blood from his hands.

They had found the ship floating in orbit around a broken planet.

The Master's crew and Jack's cell mates had come round and the Master's men were now making short work of the cannibals, and the Master was at the forefront, especially after he'd smelt the Doctor's blood.

Jack knew he could be ruthless, but he'd never seen him kill with his bare hands.

They were advancing along a corridor when someone appeared out off a ventilation shaft, and they would have lost their head to a Xanz blade if Jack hadn't called out.

A dirty, bloodied and slightly dazed Ash hugged everyone.

The happy moment was broken by the Master who snarled and grabbed Ash by what was left of his shirt.

"You smell of the Doctor. Where is he?"

"Hey!" Jack said and managed to prise the Master's hands away.

The Master glared at him and then at Ash.

Ash swallowed and then said. "I don't know...we got separated. I think he was with that woman."

The Master let an unhappy sound and growled into his com. "Search this ship, find them."

He was less than happy when the results were negative. He returned to his own ship, followed by Jack and the others.

They walked onto the bridge only to be approach by the bridge commander.

"My Lord, I took the liberty of scanning the planet for life signs."

"It's a dead planet," the Master said.

"It was my Lord, until ten minutes ago. Two life signs, one unknown and the other is Time Lord."

"They're on the planet," Jack said.

"And there's something else," the commander said.

The Master followed him to a bank of screens and he was quiet for a few moments, and then motioned for Jack to come over.

Jack looked at the screen and blinked. "That's impossible."

"But there it is," the Master said. "I thought..." he started to say and trailed off.

Jack looked at him; he knew that reaction, it was the same reaction another Time Lord had when he saw something...something that shouldn't be here...something that was made by a race that should have known better.

"Master, what is it?"

The Master didn't reply, so he said again. "What is it?"

The Master turned away from the screens. He turned to the commander.

"Ready my shuttle and ready my elite guard."

Jack stopped the Master with a hand on his arm. "What is it?"

The Master didn't reply but stared at the scanners, and then said in a way that seemed like he was talking to himself.

"She must know."

Jack was losing his patience and spun the Master to face him. "What is it and what does she know?"

"That energy signal is a barrier, one that keeps things out that should never be let loose."

"So it's a locked gate, what's it got to do with the Doctor?"

"If those readings are right, that's a barrier made by my people, a long time ago."

"Still not sure what it's got to do with the Doctor."

Jack couldn't see the connection but Ah did.

"That woman, she called him her key."

The Master's eye widened and he whispered. "She knows, how can she know."

"What does she know?" Ash said, his fear for the Doctor making his voice tight.

The Master once again seemed to ignore the question; he turned once more to the scanners and flicked a few switches and then stepped back.

"They did it, those stupid fools...arrogant stupid old fools. This barrier was made by the Time Lords...the first Time Lords."

"Still can't see what it's got to do with the Doctor and him being a key?" Jack said.

The Master let out a derisory snort. "You don't get it, do you? Not all keys are made of metal. My ancestors made this barrier with a coded lock...not numbers or letters, they used a genetic code."

"You mean it needs Time Lord DNA?" Jack said.

"Not just any DNA, the DNA of the oldest and most noble family...one that is almost gone..."

He stopped when it dawned on the little group.

"The Doctor's the last of that line," Ash said.

"So what does she want, his fingerprints," Donna said, anxious to get on with finding and rescuing the Doctor from whatever the woman was.

The Master let out a laugh, one that held no humour. "Oh if it was only that simple...but no. A fingerprint can be faked. The sample has to be internal..."

* * *

Sisrai walked a few paces behind the Time Lord...her key.

Whoever her true sire had been, he was wise and had found the key to the gate, and what a creature he was. She'd seen into his mind, into his memories...such glorious warfare.

She knew he really should die at the gates but she reasoned that it wouldn't need all of his blood; he had the makings of a wonderful weapon and he would be just that.

So she decided that he would not die at the gates; he would serve her and he would do it willingly...after all he would love her as a mother loved a daughter...well he would when she allowed him to remember.

When he turned she forced a smile and said. "How far now?"

"Not long now, I can see it, another two or three miles."

"Then I will show you your true potential."

He smiled at her and she allowed him to take her hand and they continued, and the gates grew closer.


	17. Chapter 17

The shuttles landed just below the shattered remains of what might at one time have been a mountain. They disgorged the Master, Seska and his elite guard, and Jack and his retinue.

The Master was holding a tracker and was sweeping the area. It beeped and he pointed up the rocky slope.

"This way," he said and the party began climbing, flanked by the Master's guards.

The Master who was leading dropped back to join Jack and said in reasonable tone.

"If any of your people slow me down, I will have them shot."

He then moved forward again as if nothing important had been said.

Jack stared at his retreating back...nothing changed. He drifted back to Jason and Draz.

"Be on your toes and make sure the others keep up."

He moved back again to where Donna, Gwen and Ianto were walking. He pulled Ianto away from the others...

Yan, if this goes belly-up and I can't get the Doctor away from either of them..." he handed him a small metal container. "You're the only other person who can get close to him...he does have a thing for you... I wouldn't ask..."

"But you don't have a choice," Ianto finished his sentence.

He stopped then and moved closer to Jack and said quietly. "If I can, it won't be a half- measure. I'll give him the full dose. He'll be gone, no more coming back."

Jack sighed. "Don't get yourself killed."

* * *

Ash jumped slightly when Seska appeared at his shoulder, and more than a little perturbed when he sniffed him.

"Father was right, you do smell of mother. Were you and my mother intimate?"

Ash stopped and looked at Seska. "And what if we were?"

Seska let of a breath. "It's not my business who my mother beds."

"So why ask?" Ash replied.

Seska never got to answer the question as the Master bellowed his name and he moved off.

Ash looked after him...what the hell was that about?

It kept going round in his head for the next few hours as the group made its way up the steadily increasing incline.

A shout brought him and the rest of the group to a halt and he joined Jack and the Master and his son on an outcrop.

One of the guards was pointing west and Ash could see in the distance something glittering, but it wasn't that which took his attention; it was the two figures in the distance.

Both Jack and the Master were looking through binocs.

"It's them and that must be the barrier," the Master said.

"That terrain is pretty rough. We can't go at full tilt."

"Then we go as fast as we can. I swear, if she harms him."

* * *

The Doctor stopped suddenly when the soft breeze brought a familiar scent to his nostrils. He let out a growl, which made the woman turn.

"He's here," the Doctor said.

The woman looked past him and her eyes narrowed.

"We cannot waste time with him. The entrance to the gate is just beyond here. Come, "she commanded and he followed without question.

He didn't question as she led him out of the heat of the sun into the relative cool of a rocky gully.

He blinked when they emerged...not because of sunlight, but the shimmering light that towered above them.

"The gate," the woman said.

He looked up at the shimmering wall. He could feel the energy coming off of it...an energy that felt...

He stepped back.

"It's a temporal barrier," he breathed, a frisson of fear ran through him.

He looked over at the woman, whose eyes were fixed on the barrier.

"We should leave," he said.

She looked at him then and he didn't like the fervent look on her face, nor the fanatical glint in her eyes.

He started to back away, suddenly unsure of the woman.

"Where are you going?" she said and he found himself stopping.

She approached him. "Why would we leave? Your true purpose awaits...come."

He found himself compelled to take her hand, even though every instinct was screaming at him to move away.

He found himself standing right next to the barrier.

As if she could sense his fear, she said. "Do not be afraid. Look at me."

Her eyes locked with his and once again he was caught in the whirl of gold in her eyes. He didn't take much notice of what she was saying...he should have.

"This will be painful, but it is necessary."

He let out a gasp when he felt cold fire in his belly and he let out a cry of pain when it turned to white hot pain.

He felt something warm trickle down his skin; he looked down and saw a dark patch growing o his jacket.

He looked at it with wide-eyed horror and numb shock. He finally wrenched his eyes away from it and back at the woman.

She was holding a knife, a knife that glistened with his blood.

"Your blood is the key," she said as he fell to his knees.

He barely felt the burn of the barrier as he fell forward or the hissing of the barrier as his blood pooled and spread, finally making contact.

His vision began to fade but he could see a gap forming.

His hearing began to fade as his blood still flowed...but as his sense vanished, he thought he heard a voice...a voice filled with rage and then he knew nothing.


	18. Chapter 18

Sisrai hadn't panicked when her key said the other Time Lord was here; he was of no consequence.

She led her key into the narrow darkened gulley that led to the Gate.

When he hesitated, she knew she had to keep control and when he stepped back and said they should go, she knew she had to act and act now.

She didn't want to compel the key, he should do it willingly, but that wasn't going to happen.

So she used her voice to rein him in but still he seemed reluctant.

They were close enough to the barrier so she took the knife she'd kept hidden and moved closer to the key.

The feel of the warm blood of the key on her hands sent a rush of adrenalin through her...such power.

Ignoring the look of horror on the key's face, she stepped back and watched with expectant awe as he fell to his belly and the barrier sizzled when the blood touched ir.

She smiled when a small crack started to form.

A voice suddenly rang out, roaring her name. She looked in the direction it had come from...the other Time Lord.

She looked back at the barrier, could see the crack spreading; soon she would meet her true sire.

But for now she turned her attention to the small annoyance that was the other Time Lord, who roared her name and began descending towards her at speed.

* * *

The Master set a punishing, one that his son and the freak easily matched, and the others pushed themselves to maintain.

He wasn't going to waste time stopping to be rid of them; they kept up or they didn't.

He panicked slightly when the pair ahead disappeared from view. He had no doubt that they knew he was here; if he could smell the Doctor, then the Doctor could smell him.

When they approached the gulley they stopped briefly. No words were said, just brief eye contact...this was it.

He pulse quickened suddenly when for the first time since this imposter had stolen the Doctor he felt the bond between them. It was faint but what he felt didn't fill him with joy.

He felt apprehension and then fear, which meant nothing good.

He emerged first and was blinded by the bright light of the barrier...he blinked and when he vision cleared what he saw enraged him.

There was the imposter and in her hand was a knife, a bloodied knife, and on the ground in front of her was his Storm, orange –red life staining the earth.

Rage boiled out of him and he roared out the name she'd taken.

"Sisrai!"

The woman looked at him, but then ignored him.

"Sisrai!" he roared again and leapt off the ledge and with the speed and agility that only a Time Lord possessed he sped towards the woman.

He was going to kill her, without any torture or gloating.

He leapt from the rocky outcrop he'd been on and onto loose rock and dirt. He had to steady himself on the shale, but still he was faster than any human. He hit solid ground in a cloud of dust and shale, only feet away from the woman and his fallen mate.

The woman smiled at him.

"Father," she said and he could hear the mocking sarcasm in her voice.

"You're no daughter of mine," snarled and started to move.

"No closer," she said and he found it difficult to move.

He growled in annoyance. "You think I'm going to let my husband bleed to death?"

"My key and it is not your concern as to whether he dies or not. Your concern should be how long you are going to live."

She turned away. "The gates are opening and all of this will mean nothing...you re nothing."

"Is that so?" he replied and suddenly moved without effort, raised his laser screwdriver and fired.

The beam hit her square in the chest and she dropped to the dirt; he knew it wouldn't put her down for long.

"I'm sorry," he said to the stricken Doctor and grabbed the Doctor's arms and began dragging him, not looking at the bloody trail it left.

He'd only gone a few feet when an ear-splitting crack that sounded like a myriad mirror shattering caused him to drop the Doctor and cover his ears.

The sound started to become careful and he was forced to his knees, unable to help himself or the Doctor. He was so insensate that he didn't feel hands dragging him up, nor what occurred in the time he was unaware.

When he finally came to his senses, he was no longer by the barrier and the sound of something that should have been long dead filled his ears.

* * *

Jack had given up trying to keep up with the Master, as the Master's anger had given him speed that no-one could keep up with, not even Seska.

He'd seen the same thing the Master had seen but his anger was tempered by caution; he knew the power of the woman.

Then what sounded like a crack of lightning rent the air and he felt intense pressure in his ears, but it was only fleeting...then there was silence.

He looked down again and saw the Master dragging the Doctor, then abruptly dropping and falling to his knees.

He looked like he was in some distress, but Jack couldn't see why.

"Jack!" Ash's voice said from behind and he whirled round.

Seska was also on his knees, hands clamped over his ears, also seeming to be in distress.

The he realised...Time Lord hearing was superior to humans, could whatever that noise had been still be continuing but at a pitch beyond human and Xanz hearing.

He turned back and saw three things that galvanised him.

The Doctor appeared to be coming round and the woman showed signs of movement...but the thing that made his blood run cold was not just the gap that was appearing in the barrier, it was the shadow of something huge behind it.

He turned again and called. "Ianto, Jason!"He waited the few moments it took them to approach.

"Did you see the cave back in that gulley?

They nodded and then Ianto asked. "Why?"

"Take Seska and the girls and go there...and don't argue," he said, seeing the question forming on their faces.

They still didn't move but then a sound filled the air that made them move...something roared and it sounded very angry.

He turned back to where the Master's guards were standing and he snarled. "Your Master's are in trouble, do your jobs!"

With that he was off down the slope, followed by Ash and Draz and eventually the Master's guards.

Hey had just reached the two stricken Time Lords when what could only be described as a huge clawed hand started to reach through the ever widening gap in the barrier.

That was too much for the Master's guards and they fled.

Jack swore and it was left to himself, Ash and Draz to do something.

Draz scooped the Doctor up without being told and Jack and hauled the Doctor up.

Jack spared a glance behind as they went as fast as they could.

The woman was slowly climbing to her feet, shaking her head and the owner of the clawed hand had become an arm and one huge clawed foot.

He looked forward again and never looked back, even when he heard the woman's frustrated cry and the answering roars that drowned it out.


	19. Chapter 19

Pain was the last thing he'd felt and it was the first thing he felt, that and fear and he reacted, not to the pain but to the fear.

Strong hands held him down and he panicked and he fought.

Voices were telling him to calm but there was only one voice he wanted to hear...so he kept fighting.

One voice...that was all he wanted, the voice of his bond mate.

He called out the name. "Ni'ala ri t'esh isha?!"

* * *

Draz had only just made the Doctor comfortable when he awoke and began struggling. Even in his condition, the Doctor was stronger than Draz and the Doctor managed to free himself from his grasp.

"Captain!" he called to Jack, who was at the mouth of the cave with Ash and Ianto.

His urgent call brought them back and he was glad of their added strength...but still the Time Lord struggled.

"Come on Doctor," Jack said through gritted teeth.

What is he saying and why is he fighting us?" Ianto said.

"Father, he's asking where my father is," an unexpected voice said.

Seska appeared, still looking dazed and a small but noticeable trickle of blood was coming from his ears and nose.

"The temporal barrier, it didn't just open, it shattered. It knocked my...our time sense off balance. He needs re-balancing."

"Can you do it?" Jack said, still trying to hold the Doctor still, fresh blood was starting to seep through the make-shift bandages.

"I can try," Seska said.

* * *

Seska had never been inside his father's mind. He'd only been inside his mother's mind once and that had frightened him...all that rage and guilt; who knew what was in his father's mind.

He knelt down in front of his father, his mother's repeated mantra making for a strange undercurrent to the tension he was feeling. He reached out but hesitated, inches away from his father's temple, his nerves getting the better of him.

A hand appeared on his shoulder, it was Gwen.

"You can do this."

Seska let out a breath and touched hands to his father's head and entered the cauldron that was his father's mind. He winced at the white noise that was still buzzing inside his father's head, but he pushed on and finally...

His father's mind was far different place to his mother's...yes there was the same rage, but it was cold and there was no guilt.

"Go away," his father's voice suddenly said, taking Seska by surprise.

"No, you must rebalance."

"Leave," his father snarled and Seska felt his father's mind push against his, which it what he wanted.

"Are you scared?" Seska taunted, playing a dangerous game.

It had the desired effect and the white noise dissipated and Seska quickly withdrew.

His father blinked and a small trickle of blood ran from the corner of one eye...it was done.

* * *

The Master couldn't rid himself of the sound...it was torture, even when he fled to the deepest part of his mind, and that roar, the roar of something that even Time Lords had the sense to be wary of.

Then his son's voice came through and the sound vanished. Then there came another voice, calling for him...the Doctor.

He pushed past his son and shoved the stunted apes that were trying to restrain him away.

"Hands off him," he snarled.

He replaced their hands with his and he applied pressure in two particular places and the Doctor's struggles instantly ceased.

"Easy, Eresh'ala," he said and it was only when the Doctor's breathing evened out did he take note of the Doctor's condition and the slow leak of blood from the knife wound. He didn't care if the others had heard his low snarl.

However his snarl was drowned out by snarls that were definitely not his.

Everyone bar the Master whirled round and out of the dark of the entrance emerged creatures that had not been seen since the Dark Times.

There was the sound of weapons being drawn.

"Don't waste your bullets, they won't even feel them," the Master said.

"Good advice," a woman's voice said from behind the creatures, and the creatures parted to let her through.

Her eyes were glowing with power. She walked past Jack and the others; not even looking at them.

She stopped next to the Master and the now still Doctor.

She looked down and then at the Master.

"I thank you for saving my key, now move away," she said.

The Master shook his head.

"Don't test me, Time Lord," she said, her eyes flashing.

The Master still didn't move and she sighed and one of the creatures grabbed the Master.

"If you insist, my key will need a servant and I will need salves. Bring my key. He has yet to finish what was started."

Two of the creatures picked up the Doctor and the rest were herded out of the cave and marched back to the barrier which was not quite open.

The smell of rotting flesh assaulted their noses and hanging on some kind of post were the Master's guards, what was left of them.

* * *

The woman took no notice of them or the smell. She waited until the creatures had brought the Doctor and placed him on what looked a makeshift altar.

Everyone tensed when she revealed the same knife that she'd wounded the Doctor with.

"The gates are not fully open, you must bleed some more."

Then the Master and Seska reacted, both crying out "No!"

Their cries distracted the creatures guarding Jack and the others. They took their chance and went on the attack.

Draz managed to break free of the grip one creature had on him and using the fact he was about the same size and weight of the creature grabbed the creature in his own strong grip and twisted.

There was an audible snap and the creature went limp.

"The neck!" he cried. "Go for the neck!"

A roar filled the air and from behind a ridge stepped a huge creature, as wide as it was tall...they wouldn't stand a chance against it.

A figure suddenly ran across its path...Seska.

The creature turned, its attention taken by the little figure.

It swiped at him but Seska's speed gave him an advantage and it missed and let out an annoyed roar.

.*******

Despite all of this the woman was not distracted; all her attention taken on finishing the opening of the gate.

However the annoyed roar of the creature as it swiped at Seska and missed did distract her.

She looked away and when she looked back and she found herself looking into the eyes of a now very awake key. But what she saw wasn't obedience; it wasn't her key anymore.

It was something far more frightening.

She took a step back as what had been her key sat up and looked her in the eyes again and she could see molten gold flashing.

"Darkfiend!" he snarled and reached for her.


	20. Chapter 20

_**A deal with a Devil is made...**_

The pain had subsided when he'd heard the voice, but the fear remained until he felt the presence of the Master.

"Calm," the Master said and he sank into a less restless sleep, the fog that had been wrapped round his memories lifted...and he remembered everything.

When he opened his eyes again he saw the woman for what she really was, an empty darkness.

"Darkfiend," he snarled and reached for her, but she stepped back, out of reach. Pain shot through his midriff as he moved to follow.

With a grunt of pain, he pushed himself up and put his feet on the ground and stood, and went straight to his knees.

The woman stopped, any fear leaving her face. She advanced the knife once again visible.

"You will finish what was started and you will bleed, willing or not," she snarled.

The sounds of the struggle around him faded and the woman became his only focus, her and the blade, its surface dulled by his own dried blood.

In the seconds it took for her to move he'd argued with himself about what he had to do. In those seconds he knew it was the only thing that could be done, and only he could do it...no matter the cost.

He would understand...they would understand.

In those seconds he got to his feet and despite his legs wanting to give way he moved backwards, making the woman follow him.

The woman was so intent on spilling more of his blood that she didn't notice he was moving closer to the barrier. He backed up until he was almost against it and the snarls and growls of the creatures still trapped filled his ears.

Then he stopped and waited.

The woman smiled, but there was no warmth. "So nice of you to make it easy for me, my key."

She moved closer until she was within striking distance, blade aimed at his guts.

He steeled himself and to her by surprise pushed himself onto the blade. He gritted his teeth against the pain as the knife entered his body.

He pushed until he was almost eyeball to eyeball with the woman and said.

"That's the thing with keys, they don't just unlock things."

He suddenly pushed back and this time he did cry out as the blade was ripped out. He twisted and threw himself straight into the gap.

* * *

The effect was instant and spectacular as the whip-crack sound split the air.

It made the fighting stop as all the combatants had to cover their ears.

But the effect of the creatures was more than painful, it was deadly.

The huge creature let out a bellow of pain as one of its feet cracked and shattered like clay. Its leg followed and it toppled in a shower of shards and dust.

The smaller creatures just exploded into dust, showering Jack and the others.

There was that odd silence that happened when something unexpected happened.

Then everyone was asking and checking that everyone was okay, and a collective sigh when Seska appeared.

* * *

The Master shattered the euphoria by asking. "Where's the Doctor?"

He answered his own question by looking over at the barrier.

The woman was staggering like she was drunk, blood streaming from her nose.

But the Master's attention wasn't on her; it was on the barrier which was now closed, and the absence of the Doctor.

It was easy to put two and two together and make a terrible four.

"No," he breathed.

He ran to the barrier, ignoring the woman. There was a smear of blood on the barrier.

"No" he yelled and kicked the barrier, which shimmered under the assault.

He was joined by Harkness.

"He closed the barrier."

He nodded.

"I'm sorry," Harkness said.

He said nothing, just placed a hand and his forehead on the barrier. A shiver ran through him; he couldn't feel the bond...the Doctor might as well be dead.

Then he would treat him as dead.

"Re'ah meamorie, e'shala Si'arila," he said hearing Seska's sudden cry and the sound of weeping.

He turned his attention to the woman.

"Krisha va'ishi!" he spat and dragged her up. "Now you will know the true meaning of no mercy. Seska, come."

He began pulling her away from the barrier and back towards the opening that lead back to the destroyed mountain.

His path was blocked by the Xanz and one of the humans, both with weapons drawn. He stopped, turned and looked at Harkness.

* * *

Jack had been the next to react and had moved to join the Master. He'd already guessed what the Doctor had done.

He heard the Master say something; he didn't understand the words, but judging by Seska's reaction, it wasn't a positive thing.

He didn't stop the Master when he turned away and snarled at the woman in Gallifreyan and pulled her up and began dragging her, calling for Seska.

When the Master stopped, his way blocked by Draz and Jason, he turned.

"Let him go."

"Captain, they are both criminals, murders," Draz said.

"He tortured me!" Jason said, his gun aimed at the Master.

"Let him go, wherever he's going, he won't be bothering us again. Isn't that right?"

The Master nodded and said. "Seska, vas."

Jack turned and looked at Seska and was shocked to see him shake his head.

The Master let out a snarl. "Fine, stay with the stunted apes."

He pushed past Draz and Jason, dragging the woman with him.

When they were finally out of sight, they all rounded on him.

"Enough!" he roared. "Do you think you would have stopped him? How many of you would be dead!?"

He turned then and went to Seska.

"Are you okay?"

Seska nodded.

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"My place is to make amends for what my parents did. If my mother had been sane, he would have wanted me to."

Jack nodded. "First we have to get off this rock."

Seska gave him a small smile. "I don't think that's going to be a problem."

A gust of wind blew up dust and shale and sound Jack thought he would never hear again filled the air.

A familiar shape began to materialise. He looked at Seska, who had a grin on his face that was so similar to the Doctor's that Jack's heart broke a little.

"Mother loved father, but he never really trusted him. He programmed the TARDIS to find me if something happened to him. She'll take you home...one last trip."

* * *

"Isn't that sweet," a voice said behind the Doctor. "He thinks you're dead."

"To him I am. Our bond is broken," the Doctor said. "I wondered how long it would take before the real brains appeared."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Shame our daughter is going to be collateral."

"Your spawn, not mine," the Doctor replied and turned. "At least I'll see the puppeteer before I die."

The black shape in front of him took on a more defined shape.

"Oh. Are we thinking of dying? Well, not here. Your wound has already healed. I can't have my prize dying on me."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "All that, just to get to me?"

"Would you have come willingly?"

"Perhaps not, but what does the last of the Darklings want with me?"

"Want, I have what I want...you. Even hear your name evokes fear. I wish to strike a bargain."

"No bargain," the Doctor retorted.

"A bargain for their lives. I will let them go, let your song go, if you serve me."

The Doctor knew he had no choice, but he had his own bargain to make.

"Done," the shadow figure said.

"So, what do you want from?"

"This dimension is in chaos...I want to bring order. I want to rule."

"Yes, my Lord," the Doctor replied and bowed.

* * *

_**Nine Months Later**_

Ianto was woken by someone knocking at his door.

By the time he'd gotten to the door the corridor was empty, and there was no sound of doors closing.

Whoever it was, they had gone; probably one of the kids from upstairs.

"Little blighters," he grumbled then his foot hit something and he looked down.

"Good Lord," he said.

He never saw the shadow with the shadows...never saw it lean back against the wall and never saw it fade away.

_**TBC in "Gallifrey's Legacy"**_

* * *

_**Author's Notes**_

_**re'ah meamorie, e'shala si'arill - peaceful death, beautiful beloved.**_

_**Krisha va'ishi- Murderous bitch**_

_**vas- come.**_


End file.
